Shillong: Amid heavy rain, slippery cliffs and dense undergrowth, East Khasi Hills police, villagers, Village Defence Parties (VDPs) and headmen are scouring the rugged Sohra region for an Indore couple who vanished on May 23. While investigators insist their first priority is rescue, they add that no line of inquiry is off the table.
“Right now our focus is to locate them; only then can we move to the next level,” East Khasi Hills Superintendent of Police (SP) Vivek Syiem told reporters Thursday. Earlier in the day a high-level review was chaired by the Chief Secretary and the DGP with two visiting MPs from Madhya Pradesh and the family members of the missing tourists.
“We answered every query. I understand the family is emotionally charged, but the core of this search is the local villagers who know the terrain far better than anyone else,” Syiem said, noting that community volunteers have been on the ground “since Day 1”.
Difficult terrain, relentless rain
The police were alerted on May 23 after the couple’s rented scooter was found abandoned. Search teams have fanned out across multiple sites—Dainthlen Falls, Nongriat-Pyndemdkhar-Mawlakhiat, Mawsahew-Wahkaliar and Weisawdong—where sheer gorges plunge hundreds of feet, complicating every step.
“With torrential rain, deploying drones is tricky, so we’ve requested NESAC’s high-powered thermal drones. A dog squad and our Special Operations Team are also in the field, with two DSPs supervising,” Syiem said.
The SP recalled how it took days to locate a Hungarian tourist in similar terrain: “But we will leave no stone unturned.”
‘Crime-prone hills’ row
Coverage by a national daily—The Times of India—sparked outrage Thursday after it captioned a video with the phrase “crime-prone hills”. Meghalaya Mahila Congress condemned the insinuation, and Tourism Minister Paul Lyngdoh declared, “Sohra is absolutely safe.”
Since the outrage, Times of India has edited the headline and removed the controversial term.
“Footfalls keep rising, hotels and homestays are full,” Lyngdoh stressed. While he acknowledged the family’s frustration over the pace of the operation, he cited the “geographical challenges” unique to Meghalaya’s canyons and root-bridge valleys.
Community-managed tourism, evolving safeguards
Lyngdoh said the government will review trekking rules and disseminate stronger advisories, but reminded visitors that most sites are “owned by private individuals or local communities. The government supports, not controls.”
Syiem echoed that message: “Host families should record where guests plan to trek. And first-time trekkers must hire guides.” He added that an updated set of Dos and Don’ts for tourists and homestay operators will be issued soon.
MPs briefed, assurance from CM
Madhya Pradesh MPs Shankar Lalwani and Dr Sumer Singh Solanki met Chief Secretary D P Wahlang and senior police officials. Lalwani later said, “They’re doing their best; we must be patient.”
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma released a video message assuring that he is “personally monitoring” the situation and coordinating with his counterpart in Madhya Pradesh and the Union Home Ministry.
Inquiry and accountability
The SP confirmed a full reconstruction of the couple’s movements: “Mile by mile we’ve verified where they went, what they wore, what conversations happened—everything.” As for widening the search, Syiem said teams have already swept the most probable routes and will expand as new leads emerge.
“In the previous term we lost two years to COVID; in this term, another two years to conflict,” Syiem added, reflecting public frustration—and underscoring why police say no possibility, including foul play, is being dismissed.
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